Cluster headache patients are not affected by restless legs syndrome: an observational study

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the presence of Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) in Cluster Headache (CH) patients compared to headache-free controls.

Design and setting: Cross-sectional case-control study of CH patients presenting at tertiary headache centers over the period January-December 2008.

Patients and participants: Fifty consecutive patients (6 women and 44 men) of mean age of 39.7 year (standard deviation 10.9) with episodic or chronic CH diagnosed according to ICHD-II criteria and 50 headache-free subjects matched by age and sex were recruited.

Results: None of the CH patients had RLS. Six (12%) headache-free controls had RLS.

Conclusions: Our data indicate no probable relationship between CH and RLS. However, since both conditions have a circadian rhythm and are associated with altered melatonin secretion, we conjecture that reduced nocturnal melatonin in CH likely allows sustained dopaminergic activity which could be protective against RLS in CH patients.